Confirmed case of measles in New Haven County

The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health recently announced that a case of measles has been confirmed in New Haven County.

Stephen Wikel, chair of the Department of Medical Science and senior associate dean for research at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, is available to comment.

"Measles are highly contagious and can be life threatening," Wikel said. "There are still a number of people who are deciding against vaccinating for the measles and that's a problem. According to the CDC, there are estimated to be 20 million cases and 164,000 deaths from measles worldwide each year."

Wikel has more than 30 years experience as a teacher, researcher and administrator. Most recently he was a professor of pathology and senior scientist in the Center for Tropical Diseases, Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.

To schedule an interview with Wikel, please call John Morgan, associate vice president for public relations, at 203-206-4449 (cell).